I almost never get up early enough on a weekday morning to fix myself pancakes, but last Friday I woke up and couldn’t wait even one more day for pancakes! It was a serious craving, obviously =). I had been dreaming about blueberry pancakes for days. Not even kidding. Oftentimes, I can satisfy my pancake/waffle craving with some protein pancakes, but this time I wanted the real deal. And wouldn’t you know I didn’t have any pancakes stashed away in the freezer…how did that happen??
I wanted to make some healthy, blueberry pancakes that tasted like “regular” (white flour) blueberry pancakes. I used a combination of white whole wheat flour, oat flour, ground flax, and wheat bran. I love white whole wheat flour for times when you’re wanting to disguise your whole wheat flour a bit. I wanted light, fluffy pancakes. What I didn’t want was a post-carb insulin coma ;). All those whole grains help lower the glycemic index.
Buttermilk and a generous amount of baking powder also help to keep the pancakes light and fluffy. And, of course, you can’t have blueberry pancakes without BLUEBERRIES! I prefer wild blueberries as their smaller size allows more even distribution but you can use whatever you have on hand – fresh or frozen.
You can top your finished pancakes with whatever you like – more blueberries, maple syrup, honey, yogurt, etc. I topped mine with some melted almond butter and a light drizzle of maple syrup. They were delicious! I stashed the leftovers in the freezer for whenever the next craving strikes =). Enjoy!
Blueberry Flax Pancakes
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup quick oats
2 tbsp golden flax seed meal
2/3 cup unprocessed wheat bran
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2-1/4 cups low fat (or fat free) buttermilk
1 egg
1 cup wild blueberries, fresh or frozen
1. In mixing bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, extracts, and wheat bran. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Process oats in food processor or blender until finely ground and the consistency of flour. In separate bowl, combine flour, ground oats, ground flax seeds, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just combined. Gently fold in blueberries.
4. Preheat nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Drop batter onto preheated skillet using #20 scoop (3 tbsp). Cook until bubbles form and edges appear slightly dry. Flip and cook until second side is lightly browned. (Batter will thicken slightly as it sets. If it becomes too thick, add a little milk to thin.) Makes 17 pancakes.
Nutritional Info (per pancake): 65 calories; 1.2 g fat; 11.0 g carbohydrates; 2.5 g fiber; 3.1 g protein.
